queeniebat writes: "I hate shaving...so I was thinking about laser hair removal. Does anyone know how that might affect a tattoo? I figure the lasers that break up the tattoo ink have to be pretty intense, and I think the hair removal tattoos aren't that strong...Any experiences anyone wants to share?"
Discussion: Laser Hair Removal Over a Tattoo?
From Karen L. Hudson, About.com GuideMarch 12, 2006
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Comments
When I got laser hair removal, the tech went over my tattoo by accident. The laser made a very loud noise, and it was very painfull. I had blisters coving the entire tattoo where the laser touched and my tattoo has faded by at least 75%.
I had a similar problem, the skin was burned, the part of the tattoo is gone and the hair is till there and that was done by a doctor. Untill now I´m still looking for answers, but nobody seems to know anything about it, even the so called specialist can’t give any concrete information…
I just had a hair removal treatment the other day, and the technician accidentally went over part of my tattoo. It was painful and there is a blister over it. I am hoping that the tattoo isn’t messed up, but time will tell. The laser light is attracted to dark things (like your hair) – so I’m figuring that the pigment in the tattoo attracts it even more. I would advise against having it done over a tattoo. Hope that helps!
I had laser hair removal one week ago today. My tatoo is totally screwed up in two places where the tech zapped. She didn’t mention anything about problems with tatoos. The blisters popped and are infected. The line of ink just lifts out of my skin. I will be scarred.
I just had it done yesterday, and the lady burned my tatoo! There is a huge hole in my leg where my tatoo is (was?)
It hurts- it’s blistered- and I’m wondering if anyone else had any resolution with this situation.
The technician was totally careless. She is the one who told me, during my first treatment that she couldn’t use the laser near my tatoo or this would happen, and then yesterday, she blatenlty lasered right over my tatoo!!!!!!
Guess Im going to continue to shave!
This is great to know! I just had my first session on my neck and was thinking about getting a tattoo. Now I know to wait until I’m done!!
The laser they use is similar to the laser that is used to remove tattoos. I asked my Dr. about my tattoo prior to having the laser done. He did inform me that the tattoo would lighten. After my first treatment some skin peeled and the part that touched the tattoo came off with ink attached. I had my second treatment today, and I am running an experiment. I hope that if I moisturize like I did when the tattoo was just done it will slow the fading/disappearing of the ink. If that doesn’t work I just hope the scaring is so bad the the design cannot be fixed. I’ll keep you updated!
Samantha
has anyone asked for compensation for their damages?
I am getting laser hair removal and happened to ask my doctor about this as i had noticed that she covers my small tattoo with her hand. she said you CANNOT continuously go over a tattoo because it will burn a whole right through your skin. I believe once is not a big deal.. and she gets up close to mine but then covers it with a finger or two and goes around. Hope this helps!
Do not get laser hair removal over a tattoo. I’m not sure of the actual statistic, but I’d say there’s a 99% chance of ruining your tattoo, if not burning your self. It’s basic quantum physics. You don’t need the details. Simply put, tattoo lasers have less ‘power’ than a hair removal laser. Thus when a tattoo absorbs the tattoo reoval laser, the ink molecules are knocked around and broken into pieces. Tattoo ink is trapped between your 2nd and 3rd layers of skin, once broken up, the ink is slowly absorbed into your bloodstream and the tattoo goes away. With the more powerful hair removal laser, the ink absorbs too much energy. The molecules begin to heat up realy hot, and cause the water in your cells to boil and then burst. This is what causes the burn. I hope I didn’t drag on too much. If there are any other tattoo freaks like me in the academic world, check out the physics behind it, it’s pretty cool.
I went for laser hair removal for the 3rd time last week, and the “certified technician” went right over part of my tattoo, and didn’t even blink an eye! It hurt sooo much. She said that it wasn’t a big deal, but the other technicians before were so careful to not let the laser go anywhere close to my tattoo. It started off swollen around the tattoo, and then the skin got wrinkly and then the skin came off in the shower. Now, a few days later, layers of my skin are burned off and infected, and part of my tattoo is literally falling off — not attached to my skin!! I’m seeing a dermotologist today.
I’ve had a similar experience with laser hair rmeoval. The Doctor actually assured me his laser wouldn’t affect my tattoos as it’s a different frequency to tattoo removal lasers, however I think *he* was on a different frequency! He went over 3 of my tattoos which was immensely painful, came up in large blisters and then all got infected, and now chunks of my tatts are missing. Since then I’ve been very insistent about the technicians avoiding my tatoos, but today the nurse caught the edge of one on my ankle – huge pain & now huge blister…. well at least I know what’s instore!
Would anyone reading this advise I pop the blister or leave it alone? I can’t remember what I did last time (apart from the infection & anti-biotics!)
Cheers!
I work at a spa, and had a technician work on me because she is practicing on our machine. The next day I felt a horrible muscular pain under my tattoo near my hip bone, when I looked I saw 2 areas had been burned by the laser – the reason for this is because the laser is attracted to dark hair, but if there is no dark hair it is attracted to the skin…if your skin is dark, then it will LOVE your skin…2 days later the ink is totally gone from the area that was treated.. DO NOT GET LASER ON YOUR TATTOO!!! I’m SOOOO upset I cannot even express!!
Everything I have read about laser hair removal over a tattoo sounds all bad. I have never had laser hair removal. However I have had 2 tattoos removed via laser. The results described by everyone sound dead on with what I experienced from the tattoo removal. A loud clicking noise. The worst pain I’ve ever willingly put my body through and lots of gnarley blisters with fading to the contacted area. I was considering laser hair removal over my chest tatto, but after reading these comments it is out of the question. My advise? Get laser hair removal before you get the tattoo or get the hair removal over the tattoo only if you are planning to have it covered up by a new tattoo.
I have been getting LHR for awhile 6 treatments to be exact on my 7th i had a different person because the girl i usually went to was not available anyways the one i had always went was very careful not to go over my tattoo or any moles or anything because of what could happen but on my 7th treatment new girl i guess did not know what she was doin and went over half of my tattoo and this is what it looks like now almost 2 wks after
im told there is nothing that can be done to fix it????
to describe what i was talking about in last comment cause i guess u cannot post pictures half of tattoo is gone and is a big hole its infected and im on atibiotics tattoo artist sd it cannot be fixed bc the scar will not take the ink so i gse im left w half of a tattoo on my leg…thank u so much new girl!!!!
Wowe u ladies had some aweful hardships here, just out of curiosity…um…assuming most tattoos are a custom personal art form; displayed to suit your personal symbolism; created to suit your personal unique meaning; placed specifically onto your chosen particular body part/s; at your own efforted time; at your own efforted place; and especially AT YOUR OWN COST–given that you wouldn’t sign a document stating otherwise–isn’t it just a little fair these so-called “professional tecnicians” compensate you ladies for damaging your skin agonizingly and ruining something you placed so much work and pride into?? I am a tattoo artist and it’s outrageous for me to see that so many “business-minded professionals” are out there just carelessly scortching women and having the audacity to shrug their shoulders at destroying pieces of your skin, to points of peeling off, as if its no biggie! Ruining something you’ve invested in, so to speak, should have them offering you something for the pain you went through? Not to mention the pain of screwing a perfect tattoo, no?!!
Alls I know is wonderful skins and works were damaged and frankly I’m worried to laser myself now :S
i spoke w the owner of the spa who is a dr and he sd basically it was a bad sunburn i say bs but he offered nothing so im waiting on the healing to b done and yes i will seek something i wld jus like for them to offer to pay for the removal wld b fine but i dont ill get that but if i have to take em to court i will u can bet on that..
I can identify with all you ladies who have been burned by a Laser over your Tattoos. I was burned during hair removal 22 days ago. The burns never showed up untill the next day and I have 4 Tats that are damaged to varying degrees. The worst one has a deep burn that I have been applying Antibiotic cream and Silver Coloidal several times a day. Healing is slow and I still have redness and swelling on all 4. I felt like I had been Microwaved. I just pray that the Tattoos can be fixed by touching up and the scaring isn’t enough to prevent this repair—-time will tell. The doctor was very sorry that his Tech slipped and touched in my Ink Art.She should have covered them as the first Tech did at first treatment.For what they charge they should take more time and care.
you CAN NOT laser over a tattoo!!! if you are having laser hair removal ask the tech to cover the tattoo and tape it down!
There were been a lot of pain when a laser hair removal would be done over a tattooed skin. It was been immensely painful and would expect that there would be some unwanted some skin allergies and infection that you would have. doctors need to insure the after effects of this procedure.
did anyone hear of a machine called NO!NO!??
is that any good for hair removal over tattoos?
I understand it uses heat and not exactly laser and I kinda wanted to try it… anyone know anything about it?
Yesterday, I went for laser hair removal. I specifically asked the “doctor” if it was safe even though I have a tattoo. My tattoo is on my right upper arm and it is very important to me.
Anyways, when he pased over my tattoo, it hurt like a son of a bitch. I told him that it was painful and he said he would turn down the laser intensity. Now, I’ve got these little blisters of water on certain spots of my tattoo. I’ve been really cautious to try not to let them pop but, one did.
The spot where the blister popped, the tattoo looks to be alright but now I’m worried from reading all your comments. I pray that it’ll be okay.
Do not ever get hair removal from a freaking tech. Pay the extra money and get it done by a Registered Nurse. All laser hair removal in California is done by Registered Nurses only. No more techs. So no more stupid mistakes like hitting a tattoo.
I went over my tattoo on purpose with a laser hair removal home kit in the hope of getting rid of it. (It was a stupid home done job that I’ve regretted since I grew up.) and the places I did worked really well. Yes, it hurt a bit, but no more than getting the tatt in the first place. I just wanted to find out if the blistering was normal and now I guess it is. It takes about three months after the lasering for the tattoo to fade completely, but if you want to keep your tatt then don’t let anyone near it with a laser.
glad i did some research before getting any lasering done… my back is all done up and i was planning on getting it lasered… but not now!
So getting something taped over your tattoos to completely cover them while getting laser hair removal should not ruin the tattoo?
I personally own and operate a laser tattoo and hair removal office. The two technologies are completely different. Hair lasers use a long pulse width which will make your “Bob” tattoo turn into “Bloob”. The long pulse will width will have a melting effect on your ink because the power and width of pulse is not exact for removing ink. Tattoo lasers are Q switch technology which means the laser is in and out of your skin very quick with power to crystalize the ink or pigment in the skin. All of the above comments are certainly true if using a hair laser over a tattoo. Beware. Hope this helps.
yes, it will mess up your tattoo. the laser is attrached to dark pigment. it can redistribute the ink, burn it as some other comments have said, fade it, you name it and it will do it. laser hair removal is a process with usually 5-7 visits before it is complete because hair grows in differ layers. the same thing will be happening to your tattoo. layers and layers each time. i know what i am talking about, it happened to me.
A friend of mine recommended this course of action for those with tattoos wanting lhr
1) use cream tattoo removers (no scarring)
2) get lhr done and completed
3) get your tattoo re-inked (process drpending on lhr could take over a yr but the cream tattoo removal she swears by)
I am the clinic director of a medical laser center so I would like to provide a brief explanation.
A laser is a light that attracts to pigmentation and a physician/technician would analyze the skin and choose the right type of wavelength and fluence (energy per centimeter squared) according to the person’s skin type and the color of the tattoo (or hair as white or blond hair may not respond to laser treatment; the reason you would be asked to shave beforehand or would be shaved by a technician just before the treatment is to eliminate the risk of burning the skin as the laser may direct some energy to the unshaved hair which contains pigment that is exposing. When doing laser hair removal, the laser should be directing its energy to the root of the hair when the hair is in the anagen stage and not at the surface.
This is the reason that the laser used for laser hair removal may destroy a tattoo; because a tattoo contains a vast amount of ink/pigment which is meant to last for a lifetime and if a laser for hair removal goes over a tattoo, its energy will be directed to where there is the most pigmentation, which is the tattoo and not the root of the hair and it may cause permanent scarring and other unwanted side effects like (severe) burning, scarring, blisters and the hair may or may not be removed (if the tissue recovers, then the hair may grow back but hair does not grow in scarred tissue so it depends on the severity of the burn and damage).
Please make sure the physician/technician does not do laser hair removal on the areas you have a tattoo; you can either get laser hair removal around the areas, get all the hair removal treatment before getting a tattoo, or completely remove a tattoo before starting your laser hair removal treatment.
Do not just assume a physician would be able to perform the treatment safely because laser is not being taught in medical school, it is something that is learnt somewhere else and I have seen many reputable laser technicians who perform these procedures better than I do because of their many more years of experience in doing laser.
Please do not hesitate to ask questions and ask beforehand of compensation if a mistake were to be made. Neither can a laser technician nor a physician can promise or 100% predict the outcome of tattoo removal or laser hair removal as in the number of treatments or whether or not a tattoo can be 100% or 99% removed but we can definitely make sure the laser for hair removal does not go over a tattoo and cause burns so make sure you go through this detail with your technician/physician before the treatment.
Just to add to my previous comment, laser tattoo removal is the safest and most efficient, please do not try the creams or kits you can use at home as it is not color/pigment specific and the risks of permanent scarring is much greater than laser treatment.
Jamie- I just popped in and saw your comments. I am not a laser tech but I have had laser tattoo removal as well as leg hair removal treatment. I make sure the tech stays at least a 1/2″ away from my tatts. However, I do have a question for you. Have you seen anyone get tattoos over previously laser faded tattoos? OR tattoos over legs that have had laser hair removal? I am wondering if there is an side affects of laser treatments and new tattooing. Thanks! I cannot find any answers on this when I google.
Same experience — they told me that going over a tattoo would be ok, but it blistered and became infected. This was 2 years ago. It healed but scarred so bad that the artist does not want to “touch up” the tattoo because he does not think he will get a good result tattooing scarred skin (it is script). I complained and got my money back and $300 to get the tattoo fixed (which cannot happen). If I had to do it again, I would sue in small claims court.
i have tatoos that i got when i was 13 i now wat them to be gone!!! how do i get these creams to take them off i now work in the medical field and it dosent look right wat are my options
wow, its actually scary how laser technicians are not trained properly!!!
I have just had this happen to me as well and am now left with chunks of tattoo and skin falling right off me!! I had my underarms done at a new place ( the place I usually use is brilliant but thought I would try a new place as they were having a special price for November and its in a beautiful up market spa)
I have a half sleeve and the technician blatantly went over an area that is tattooed….?? then when she went to do my bikini line she made a comment about not going over my tattoo on my hip? I was so confused because she had just done it under my arm?? anyway I think it was pure carelessness and am demanding my money back!!!
def make sure if you go to tell the technician to stay far away from tattooed areas- do not assume they know what they are doing, make sure they give you safety goggles and make sure your skin is not tanned, also tell them not to put the machine on too high- I found my usual place sets the machine in the low 20’s which is fine, however the other place I went to started in the low 30’s which was very high and really hurt more than necessary.
does someone knows whats happens if i get laser hair removal few days before getting tattooed? And what happens if i get tatooed and i do laser hair removal close to the tattoo but not on top of it, does it damage it also?